The Island Trail T h e N e w s l e tt e r o f t h e M a i n e I s l a n d T r a i l A s s o c i at i o n s u mm e r 2 0 1 0
Tales of Trail Romance b y K e v i n lo m a n g i n o, e d i to r
Islands for many members are all about solitude and introspection—a chance to disconnect from the rest of humanity and plug back into the life within. But as many of you told us when we asked for tales of Trail romance in the MITA e-newsletter, the islands can also be a unique setting to make a new connection with that special someone. After all, what could be more romantic than a walk along an isolated island beach at sunset? Or lying in a meadow beneath a blanket of stars on a warm, moonless night in August? Cliff Seymour, a MITA monitor skipper, knows well the islands’ romantic potential. He says a picnic on tiny Erratic Island helped win the affections of Colleen, now his wife, when they were first dating. “How often does it happen today that you can really be alone and get away from other people?” is how Cliff explained the appeal. “When you’re on an island and you know nobody else is going to be there, it makes it so much more magical and intimate.” continued page 7
In This Issue return to hurricane island........Page 4 cobscook calling .........................Page 6 2009 financial review.. .................Page 8 the cuckolds................................ Page 10 stalking stripers......................... Page 14
Captain Moore displays plastic fragments skimmed from Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Photo courtesy of Algalita Marine Research Foundation.
Our Plastic Legacy b y B r i a n M a r c au r e l l e , P r o g r a m D i r e c to r
“ No matter where you are, there’s no getting over it, no getting away from it. It’s a plastic ocean now.” This is how Captain Charles Moore, Research Coordinator and founder of the California-based Algalita Marine Research Foundation, summed up the state of the marine environment in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine in October 2009. The thought haunted me for weeks. Captain Moore is credited with discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—an oceanic zone north of Hawaii where humangenerated debris accumulates to alarming levels and plastic particles outnumber surface zooplankton by a factor of six to one. Two months after the Rolling Stone article was published, Captain Moore flew to Blue Hill, Maine, to speak as part of an Ocean Environment Lecture Series sponsored by the Marine Environment Research Institute (MERI). With visions of plastic soup swirling in my head, I simply had to be there. Like many environmentalists, I lean heavily on hope and a long range perspective to temper the discouragement that comes with learning about new environmental challenges. But the photos of plastic debris in Moore’s presentation really rattled me. Bottle caps, lighters, eating utensils, drinking straws and toothbrushes are some of the more common plastic items that he skims from surface waters in the Pacific. continued page 12
m i ta .o r g
Building Boats and Relationships B y D o u g W e l c h , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c to r
STAFF
Doug Welch • dwelch@mita.org Executive Director
Patricia Dano • pdano@mita.org Business Manager
Tom Franklin • tom@mita.org Director of Special Programs
Eliza Ginn • eginn@mita.org
Marketing & Membership Manager
Meg Wilson • info@mita.org Membership Associate
Peter Kenlan • pkenlan@mita.org
Development Officer & Stewardship Manager
Kevin Lomangino • kevinl@maine.rr.com Newsletter Editor
Brian Marcaurelle • brian@mita.org Program Director
Pro-bono newsletter design services by Jillfrances Gray JFG Graphic Design|Art Direction The Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile long waterway extending from the New Hampshire border on the west to Cobscook Bay on the east. Along the route, state-owned and private islands are available to members or the public for overnight stopovers where one can picnic or camp in a wilderness setting. The Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) is a nonprofit conservation organization, whose goal is to establish a model of thoughtful use and volunteer stewardship for the Maine islands that will assure their conservation in a natural state while providing an exceptional recreational asset that is maintained and cared for by the people who use it. This goal is achieved by encouraging a philosophy of low-impact use and environmental awareness among MITA’s members and island visitors.
M AINE ISLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION 58 Fore Street, 30-3 Portland, ME 04101 (207) 761-8225 • info@mita.org
Vol. 21 2
M I TA .O R G
No. 1
Thanks to a grant from the Virginia I write as we come Wellington Cabot Foundation, the down from the Department of Conservation, and several high of the Maine very generous individuals, the Online Boatbuilders’ show Guide project began this winter and will over a weekend go live this summer. (We will announce that heralded the it by email, so be certain we have your spring equinox with address!) It will provide continually 70-degree weather. (Last year it was updated information, easier screening snowing.) Watching the crowds come for information, and more depth of and go from the office veranda with content than we can print on paper each our boom-box playing calypso tunes, it year. Future improvements promise to was exciting to see 16 MITA volunteers further enhance communications and and the staff in full action. Some were strengthen the community of all of us selling $10 parking spots (the best deal who love the wild islands of Maine. in town!), some manned the booth inside the show, and the rest of us held Members and Volunteers Move an office open house. For three days we MITA Ahead plied a constant stream of passersby After a tough year for nonprofits and the with free coffee and pastries (thanks people that support them, I am proud to to Arabica Coffee, Rosemont Market, report that our membership headcount Dunkin Donuts and Standard Baking remains in step with the past several Co. of Portland). We reconnected with years. (See the 2009 members, sponsors, and Annual Report on page other old friends. We New discounts can 8 for a full discussion of engaged the public, signed easily recoup the cost this and other matters up 40 new members, of your membership related to the budget.) and made many new dues many times over. While our average gift friends. After a winter’s is down by (literally) isolation from the MITA a few dollars, the staff mission, we learned of several possible is honored to have your continued new Trail properties, talked about every involvement and support. We are conceivable style of boat, and compared especially grateful that you heeded our notes on every place on the eastern call for more volunteer help with the seaboard to use them. Exhausting Island Adopter program (see page 15). though it was, I can think of no better This kind of response speaks more clearly way to spend three days – at least when to the importance of the MITA mission the water is only 40 degrees! than anything I can say. Thank you.
Get Ready for the Online Guide
In an age when environmental concerns and printing and mailing costs are driving widespread reductions in printed material, MITA’s annual 250-page Guide to the Maine Island Trail stands out as needing “reinvention.” In our recent survey (see the article on p. 3), 91% of members expressed interest in an online guide, although 72% also want a paper guide. We are working to serve both of these needs: an online tool and a paper guide for your chart table or foredeck!
Please Use Your Member Benefits!
Lastly, Tom Franklin and Eliza Ginn pounded the pavement over the winter to add new discounts to our growing list of member benefits. In particular we added six mooring-related discounts along the coast, including a free night at Hinckley Yachts in Southwest Harbor. (See www.mita.org/benefits.) Once redeemed, these discounts can easily recoup your membership dues many times over, so please use them, and thank the sponsors!
Your greatest interest in the future is for MITA to continue to grow the Trail itself.
Happily, that’s just what we intend to do.
An extraordinary 744 people responded to our online survey over the holidays – the equivalent of about 20% of our members. To the extent they accurately represent YOU, here’s who you are: Half of you live in Maine, a third live elsewhere in New England, and the rest are sprinkled across the country and even beyond U.S. borders. Your average age is 55. You own a wide range of boats, although 60% report you usually access the islands by kayak. About a quarter of you are affiliated with other boatingrelated clubs, but the rest are not. Eleven percent are financial supporters of MITA beyond annual membership fees, 6% are Monitor Skippers or Island Adopters, and 11% are other MITA volunteers. Eight of you have made planned gift bequests to MITA to ensure our mission continues into the future. (If you are interested in joining them, please call the office and we’ll make it simple for you.) Although most of you are interested first and foremost in access to the islands, many are of you are involved to support island stewardship and coastal conservation. Your use of the islands varies widely: on average you visit the islands 3.5 times per year, visiting four islands, with one overnight per year. Many of you did not visit islands at all in 2009 and others visited as many as 67. Altogether, the survey respondents collectively made 2,871 island visits. Power boaters visited the most islands in the most trips; sailors focused on day-trips; kayakers made day trips but also camped out the most. Fully 91% of you want an online version of the Trail Guide, but 72% also want a paper version to continue. As noted in the Executive Director’s letter (page 2), MITA is well on the way to implementing just such an approach. We will launch an online Guide this summer.
A second follow-up survey of 98 lapsed members and non-members who subscribe to our monthly emails helped us learn what we can do to attract and keep members. Not getting out on the water as much, and belt-tightening due to the poor economy were very prominent factors in their decision not to join or renew. We received very constructive feedback, and only one person had not renewed due to dissatisfaction with the direction MITA is heading. And happily 20 people took the opportunity of the survey itself to join or rejoin MITA!
We cannot thank you 744 respondents enough for letting us know more about you, your interests, and how we can serve you better! And if you didn’t see the survey or didn’t have time to respond, we are still very interested in hearing your feedback. Send your comments, questions, and concerns to info@mita.org.
Which of the Following MITA Services Would You Use in the Coming Years? 600 500
Responses
Peter Adams, Yarmouth, ME Kelly Boden, Portland, ME Scott Camlin, Belmont, MA Nicole Connelly, Falmouth, ME Cyrus Hagge, Portland, ME Lindsay Hancock, Gray, ME Kathryn Henry, Waitsfield, VT Rodger Herrigel, Phippsburg, ME Liz Incze, Cumberland Foreside, ME Tony Jessen, Freeport, ME Melissa Paly, Kittery, ME Joan Smith, Portland, ME Stafford Soule, Freeport, ME Alan Stearns, Augusta, ME Rod Vogel, Cumberland, ME Jeremy Wintersteen, Boston, MA Julie Wormser, Littleton, MA
Member Survey Confirms Interest in Online Guide, New Islands
400 300 200 100 0
Add more islands to the Trail
More group outings
More island stewardship group activities
More social events
If We Put the Guide to the Maine Island Trail Online, Will You Use It? 600 500 Responses
M ITA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Taking MITA’s Pulse
400 300 200 100 0
Yes, and I would no longer want a paper version
Yes, but I would still want a paper version
No, but I would still want a paper version
No, I would not need a Guide in any format
Most members want MITA to continue adding new sites to the Trail, and some 91% want the Guide to be accessible online. However, only 27% said they were prepared to go paperless. M I TA .O R G
3
“Ghost Gear” Problem: How Frightening?
THE ISLAND TRAIL INTERVIEW
Return to Hurricane Island
B y K e v i n Lo m a n g i n o, Ed i to r
Having served as a commercial quarry from the 1870s to 1914 and then as a base for youth adventure programs for most of the last 50 years, Hurricane Island is uninhabited once again following restructuring and consolidation at Outward Bound in 2005. Recently we spoke to Ben Willauer, Chair of a new nonprofit called the Hurricane Island Foundation (www.hurricaneisland.net), which is trying to preserve the island and re-establish youth-oriented programs on the property. Here is what he told us about their plans to create a viable new community focused on the island. Yours will be the third venture to try to make a go of it on Hurricane Island in the last 100 years or so. Why is it so hard to keep things going out there? Hurricane Island Granite Company and Outward Bound are two pretty different situations, but I guess you could say they both experienced a transition in their business models that forced them to stop using the island as a base. For Outward Bound, it was a difficult place to operate from when they could accomplish the same things much less expensively from the mainland. But there are a lot of staff and alumni at Outward Bound who still have a huge amount of passion and support for the island. Like MITA, you talk a lot about access. Why is it important to keep the island accessible? There are very few places in Maine that foster the sense of community and empowerment that has existed at Hurricane Island over the years. The island is really unique in that it has a height of land which gives you the feeling of being right at the center of the bay. And there are few places where you can do something as dynamic as rock climbing in the quarry.
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What’s the plan for the Foundation? The first order of business is to endow the island – raising money. More broadly we’re trying to protect an educational resource for youth in Maine. How exactly we’re going to facilitate that, and who we’re going to partner with, is something we’re working on. In the near term, we’re looking specifically toward the local communities of Vinalhaven, North Haven, Islesboro—the greater Pen Bay area. We think it makes sense to look locally for now because it’s a lot easier to get to the island from Carver’s Harbor than it would be from, say, Belfast. M I TA .O R G
Ben Willauer
You’re focusing on kids in Maine. How come? It’s an underserved population. We have a real problem in the state in that we have a lot of wealth in some parts and a lot of poverty in other parts. We don’t have an effective way to serve those poorer communities that in a lot of cases are battling gentrification. This is a critical opportunity to allow this resource to be something that’s approachable for kids whose families or municipalities would never be able to afford to go out and acquire Hurricane Island. Your uncle Peter Willauer founded Hurricane Island Outward Bound in the 60s. Do you feel an obligation to protect a family legacy? The family is certainly very interested in and passionate about an effort to preserve and open up Hurricane Island. The thing is, right now nobody in the family formally has any relationship with Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. So it’s an entity that is in transition. It would be almost as if your family owned, let’s say, a lumberyard, and for economic reasons that business model no longer became sustainable and it transitioned into being a furniture business. It would look a lot different and have a whole new life, and that’s kind of the situation we’re in now with the island.
You must need help getting things going. How can people contribute? Our most important need is for people with specialized skills or resources who can support us with professional services in kind or donations of materials. Whether its carpentry, construction, engineering, plumbing – anything that relates to running facilities out on an island. What if you’re just an average Joe looking to help out? We’re going to be having some volunteer events out on the island this summer where we’ll be glad to put a rake in your hand. Our website, www.hurricaneisland. net, is the best place to look for that information. We’re also just happy for people to visit the website, learn about us, and help spread the word about what we’re doing. Sharing that information is probably one of the most valuable aspects of volunteerism.
Oceanwood Campground Closed Oceanwood Campground (p. 205 in the Trail Guide) has been sold and is no longer open to camping by MITA members. A group called Saving Oceanwood Trust has been formed to try to protect and preserve the property. Mike and Pat Brunton, who, along with their children, managed Oceanwood Campground for 24 years, fully support the organization and are active participants. For more information, visit www. savingoceanwoodtrust.org.
An article in our last issue highlighted the danger that lost or abandoned lobster traps, known as “ghost gear,” may pose to the marine environment in the Gulf of Maine. The article relayed estimates from state officials who said that much as 50,000 pounds of lobster—and an unknown number of other marine creatures—could be trapped and killed each year by ghost traps which keep on fishing. While praising the article’s coverage of the Bar Island shoreline trap cleanup, Phil Averill, former head of the Fisheries Technology Service of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), wrote to tell us that our coverage of the ghost gear problem was overly sensational. He specifically took us to task for failing to mention a safety feature, known as the bio panel or “ghost panel,” which is mandatory on all lobster traps in Maine.
How Do Ghost Panels Work?
“Every trap has to have a device that will fail if the trap is ever lost so as to create a large hole in the trap, rendering it useless as a catching device,” according to Averill. “In most gear in Maine, this is accomplished by attaching the escape vent (the hole that releases undersized lobsters) to the trap with mild steel hogrings. These hogrings rust out over a period of months. When they break, the escape vent floats up, leaving the hole.” Averill added that “while lost gear is an eyesore when it washes up on the shore, it has not been impacting lobsters and other animals before being washed up.” The failure to discuss ghost panels was an important omission on our part and we apologize for this oversight. Our coverage gave insufficient credit to the fishing industry for recognizing and trying to mitigate the impact of derelict fishing gear on the environment. It may also have given readers an unbalanced view the damage inflicted by derelict lobster traps.
A backhoe hoists a ball of mangled traps recovered during a recent recovery project led by the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. Photo courtesy of Laura Ludwig.
Nevertheless, whether our coverage the longer a ghost panel takes to open, overstated the risks posed by ghost the longer the trap could potentially gear remains a subject of considerable remain viable as a catching device. debate. While in Averill’s At least one study is view ghost gear “is a Whether our coverage underway to try to problem that has already recover ghost traps and been dealt with,” others overstated the risks quantify their impact say we won’t know for posed by ghost gear more precisely. The sure until the appropriate remains a subject of Gulf of Maine Lobster studies are done to considerable debate. Foundation is leading an confirm the effectiveness effort to pull abandoned of the ghost panels. traps off the sea floor by dragging hooks behind fishing boats. How Long Until They Open? According to Laura Ludwig, the Lobster Carl Wilson, chief lobster biologist with Foundation’s executive director, the the Maine DMR, agreed that our article small study so far has pulled up about should have mentioned the ghost panel. 1,100 abandoned traps from various But he added that it’s not clear that locations along the coast. She said it’s ghost panels always function the way too soon to say what the final results they’re supposed to in order to prevent of the two-year study will be with any sea life from becoming trapped. He precision. However, her initial, anecdotal noted that fishermen use a variety of impression is that the ghost panels are materials, including the steel hogrings working as designed. mentioned by Averill as well as wood lath or natural fiber twine, to secure ghost panels on their traps.
“Not all bio panels are created equal,” Wilson said, adding that “some break down faster than others.” He said that
“The greatest proportion of traps were totally empty and the panels functioned,” said Ludwig. “And the ones where the panels didn’t function, it was because the panel was illegally installed.” M I TA .O R G
5
Cobscook Calling
Trail Romance – continued from page 1
Remoteness was also an advantage emphasized by member Bob Brayley. Bob told us about celebrating a recent anniversary with a trip out to Monhegan Island. He commemorated the event with a poem that concluded:
In its meandering 375-mile journey from the New Hampshire border to Machias Bay, the Maine Island Trail winds its way through some of the most magnificent coastline the United States has to offer. And yet, truth be told, one of Maine’s most intriguing and attractive maritime destinations lies just a few dozen miles east of the Trail’s official terminus in Machias and is seldom visited by members. Isolated and largely undeveloped, Cobscook Bay on the Canadian border beckons explorers with an abundance of wildlife, uncommon natural beauty, and a landscape which visitors say is unlike any other region of the Maine coast. But MITA for 22 years has resisted extending the Trail into this rugged and remote estuary. Why? Safety has long been a primary concern in this area of huge tides, racing currents, and frequent dense fog, says Brian Marcaurelle, MITA’s Program Director. And there were also worries about increasing human impact in a region famed for its diversity of marine species and bird life. “But now the stars are aligning in a way that makes it very likely we’ll have some new sites in the bay by next year,” Marcaurelle says. “The local community has really stepped up and encouraged us to look at ways we can make it happen.”
Why Now?
The catalyst for the recent activity was a stakeholder conference that MITA, with support from the Quimby Family Foundation and Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, hosted in October 2008. There, we received strong expressions of interest and support from members of the Cobscook community, including businesses, local government and state officials, the Coast Guard, land trusts, and other property owners.
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Community members said it was a logical tie-in with efforts to promote naturebased tourism in Washington County. The area has been hard-hit by the recession and is searching for new economic development opportunities. M I TA .O R G
I’ve taken you to a chunk of rock 10 miles out at sea To ask once again if you’ll marry me There are no distractions just the waves and the wind The perfect place to start all over again Cobscook Bay stakeholders listen to a presentation at a MITA-sponsored forum.
And there was agreement that MITA has a strong track record of managing low-impact recreation without degrading the environment. There was a sense, too, that the safety risks could be adequately addressed with the appropriate precautions. “The bottom line is it’s a safe place to paddle if you know what you’re doing,” said Steve Ftorek, a guide with Cobscook Hikes & Paddles. “And we’d love to see more camping options out there in the bay.”
Unique Challenges
Hiring a local guide will be the safest way to navigate the 24-foot tides, reversing falls and whirlpools, and other hazard of the area, says Marcaurelle. “Visitors must be acutely aware that timing is critical,” he says. “Waters that may be deceptively lake-like at slack tides may be complex torrents of current or standing waves at other times.” How to safely traverse the Bold Coast from Machias to Lubec is another issue that still needs to be worked out. The 30-mile stretch of exposed coast offers few safe harbors and should be attempted only by experienced small boaters and under the most favorable conditions. MITA is investigating a possible livery service from Machias to Whiting to help small boaters navigate this section.
MITA plans to be especially sensitive to the unique and thriving ecosystem of the bay as well. We will continue our policy of excluding eagle nesting sites, islands with rare/fragile species, or sites where recreation might cause excessive erosion or other environmental problems. We also intend to collect baseline environmental data on Trail islands to closely track any changes that may occur over time.
Sharing a Special Resource
Stakeholders were optimistic that these policies would protect the bounty of the bay while making it more accessible to local residents, tourists and adventure travelers. And they were excited by the prospect of sharing the bay’s wonders more widely. “I can’t think of a single time when I haven’t seen an eagle out on the bay,” said Ftorek. “It’s such a special area to paddle in.”
We’ll have more information about new
Cobscook Bay islands in upcoming issues of the newsletter and in the 2011 Trail Guide.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to get involved with preparations for this historic expansion of
the Trail, please email Brian Marcaurelle, at brian@mita.org.
The island logbooks occasionally give testimony to the passionate impulses the islands can stir. A pair of honeymooners vowed that their experience on Hay Island was the “best way to start a life together. Alone. In nature. With the dog. Working together mostly naked.”
A logbook entry about a marriage proposal on Bar Island.
Others said the islands were a timeless reminder of enduring love. Witness a logbook entry from Jewell Island celebrating almost 20 years since an earlier honeymoon sojourn: “Just as we remembered it only more and more beautiful. Thanks for keeping it so!” And then there was the enthusiastic tale about an island marriage proposal flagged for us by Barb Burt, whose family owns Bar Island in Muscongus Bay (see above).
“It was fun for all of us in the family to see that!” Barb said. “My husband Rick and I were married on Bar in 1977. That’s why the tent platform on the west side is called the ‘Honeymoon Suite’ in the family parlance.” Thanks to everyone who responded to our call for stories in the e-newsletter. If you’re not on our distribution list but wish to receive the e-newsletter, visit mita.org and click on the subscribe button.
Love Among the Rocks By J u li e Wormser
Our trip almost didn’t start as planned. We had taken a kayak safety class the weekend before. Fred had torn a muscle doing a vigorous high brace, making paddling and hauling gear painful. We paddled all of two miles our first day, landing on Campbell Island just across Eggemoggin Reach.
I fell fast asleep on a cobblestone beach after battling a headwind around the Schoodic Penninsula. We camped with a fishing boat captain and his family in Jonesport after spending our day peering up at 18 vertical feet of intertidal zone around Great Wass Island. Least storm petrels tiptoed across our wakes, looking for tidbits to eat. We fell in love with black guillemots, who took flight like stubby bumblebees, bright red feet stuck straight out behind them. We saw an osprey repeatedly dive-bomb an eagle, who at the last minute defended itself by flipping upside down in mid-air, presenting its talons.
the sun, awakening ten hours later at 6:30 a.m., for once fully rested. Paddling up the Machias River on our last morning, we regretted the end of our great adventure that allowed us to become such a companionable team. We discussed ideas for our next big adventure. Would it be paddling in Canada? The southern end of the Maine Island Trail? New Zealand? No—something much closer to home. After taking such pleasure in our teamwork, we made the decision to adopt our now-beloved daughter, Lucy.
Fred luckily recovered quickly and we spent the next four weeks wandering up the coast alternating ice cream cones in small coastal towns with wind-whipped islands shared by seals and ospreys. Fred wept at the beauty of a rain-washed sunset on Mink Island.
Every day—rain, fog or sun—brought hours of paddling side-by-side, becoming connoisseurs of pocket beaches on which to have lunch and read out loud to each other. We would bake bread for lunch just because we had the time, and go to sleep with
Julie Wormser is on the MITA Board of
My husband Fred Small and I had been married only a few years when we set off from Brooklin, Maine on a monthlong meander along the Maine Island Trail. Both of us worked long hours at jobs we loved, leaving us with little more than tired moments to reconnect at each end of our busy days.
Trustees and is the New England and
Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for the
Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Team. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband Fred and their daughter Lucy. M I TA .O R G
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2009:
The Financial Year in Review MITA’s total revenue in 2009 showed a modest increase of 1% compared to 2008. However, like many other nonprofits, MITA’s operating revenues were challenged by the extraordinary financial climate. We experienced a decrease in operating revenues due primarily to a decrease in our main funding source, membership revenues. Happily, this decrease was due not to a decline in members, but to a small decrease in the average gift. In our online survey (see page 3 for details), many people noted that they were feeling increased financial pressure in their lives. Although our membership fees have not changed since 2000, we resolved not to raise them during a recession when so many were feeling a financial pinch. We are proud and grateful that so many members renewed and kept our member headcount level. Major gifts were significantly lower than budgeted, and boat donations fell as well. Due to the difficulty of predicting revenue from boat donations, we decided not to budget for them at all in 2010. All boat donations are now ‘gravy’ to MITA’s operating budget, so please consider making one if you have the opportunity. On the expense side, MITA successfully trimmed operating expenses through savings in nearly every expense category. This resulted in savings of 4% versus 2008. As a result, we ended the year with an operating shortfall of $7,034. Happily, however, revenues of a restricted nature enhanced our total net revenues and our balance sheet. As a result of reorganization in 2009, the paid MITA staff is now 5.5 people, all of whom have some degree of program responsibilities and closer connections to MITA’s mission and program work. And we continue to be blessed with the support of our volunteer Director of Special Programs, Tom Franklin, who manages volunteer outreach, member benefits, cruiser outreach, and boat donations. As Tom says, “Would you ever believe that a paid staff of just five and a half people could manage a 375-mile water trail and care for over 150 remote islands along the way?” We have a secret, of course: YOU. Our 3,600 members allow our small staff to do so much. Your membership fees cover over 30% of our expenses, and your additional gifts stretch it much further. But most importantly, your many thousands of labor hours each year on behalf of the islands are crucial to the success of the Maine Island Trail. (It is the equivalent of two or three additional full-time staff people dedicated to our program work!) We thank you for your support of the Maine Island Trail Association.
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M I TA .O R G
Statement of Operational Financial Position Assets
FY08*
FY09*
Current Assets
$219,722
$349,689
Total Assets
$242,943
$398,000
Property & Equipment
$23,221
$48,311
Liabilities and Net Assets Current Liabilities
$10,701
$9,091
Net Assets
$232,242
$388,909
Total Liabilities & Net Assets
$242,943
$398,000
$544,275
$547,715
Statement of Activities Total Support & Revenue Total Expenses
Net Assets - beginning of Period Net Assets - end of Period
$571,348
$548,469
$317,119
$232,242
$232,242
$388,909
Revenue & Expenses by Area $192,866
Grants & Foundations Events
Investment Income
$304,065
$8,500
$11,000
$150
$75
$5,390
Other
Total Revenue & Support
$227,684
$334,718 $2,651
Sponsorship / Advertising
• Fourteen new sites were added to the Trail: 7 islands and 7 mainland sites. • The Maine Island Trail was named one of the top 50 “America’s Best Adventures” by National Geographic magazine and one of the top “25 Weekend Escapes for under $500” by Outside magazine. •O n Bar Island in Muscongus Bay, 220 lobster traps were removed and recycled in an extraordinary display of partnership among volunteers, local fishermen, the state and others. • Volunteers carried off 181 bags of trash from MITA islands during the spring cleanups and another 147 bags of trash from 38 islands during the fall cleanups. • I sland Adopter visits increased by 15% and covered 34% more islands than in 2008.
Revenue and Support Funds & Solicitation
In 2009…
$4,002 $889
$544,275
$547,715
$396,608
$409,048
$78,523
$61,704
$571,348
$548,469
• Work began on a searchable online Guide to the Maine Island Trail due to launch in Summer 2010. • Close to 7,000 members, supporters and followers received monthly emails and a remarkable 744 people responded to our online survey to help us plan for the future.
Expenses Programs
Membership Support
$16,702
Administration
Fund Development
$79,515
Total Expenses
$16,172
$61,545
*CPA reviewed financials are available upon request.
Thank you! M I TA .O R G
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The Cuckolds B y L i z F i t z s i mm o n s
“[The Cuckolds are] dangerous of approach on their southern side on account of all the reefs in that direction, and the shoals which extend half a mile to the westward of the western rock… They are much dreaded by mariners in thick weather.” —Recommendation for a fog signal station, 1890 At the entrance to Boothbay Harbor, off Cape Newagen at the tip of Southport Island, stand two formidable rock ledges that have made mariners wary for centuries. Identified as the White Rocks on Pre-Revolutionary War charts, they were later named The Cuckolds, allegedly after a point of land on the Thames River in England that King John granted to assuage a man with whose wife the monarch had an affair. The rocky reefs are often obscured by fog, waves, and snow, conditions that make navigation difficult and have contributed to wrecks and distress calls. Navigation aids were first installed in 1874, when a tripod-type day beacon was mounted on the more easterly of the islets, which is seven acres in size and 15 feet above sea level at its highest point. In 1890 the dangers of The Cuckolds’ reefs were brought to the attention of the Government, and Congress appropriated $25,000 for the construction of a fog station on the island. The steam-driven Daboli fog trumpet went into service in 1892, and a keeper moved to the island, occupying the new attached dwelling. While the fog signal alerted approaching vessels to possible danger ahead, it did not bring an end to wrecks in the area. In 1902 the fog trumpet was replaced with a new oil-powered fog signal. Five years later Congress allocated funds for a lighthouse. Because the tiny island had no space for a new building, it was constructed on the roof of the signal house. It was one of the last lights built by Royal Luther, a Southport resident who is said to have been responsible for the construction of about 80 percent of the lighthouses on the New England coast, including nearby lights at The Graves and Ram Island.
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M I TA .O R G
Give a Gift or Join MITA Today Join online at www.mita.org Email your information to membership@mita.org Fill out this form and mail it to: MITA, 58 Fore Steet, Suite 30-3, Portland ME 04101
Please check one of the following: o New o Renewal, member #:
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Photo courtesy of Hendricks Hill Museum, Southport, ME.
From 1892 to 1974 the station was staffed by keepers, who lived with their families on the island. Coast Guardsman Kelly Farrin, who was keeper in 1969 and 1970, recorded some of his memories of life on the island, writing that, despite being less than half a mile from Cape Newagen, “there were often weeks at a time when the water around the island was so rough that we couldn’t leave at all. Because we seldom got off the island, we always needed at least a month’s worth of food and other supplies.” During one particularly furious winter storm, when the treeless island was awash and near hurricane force winds were blowing, Farrin confronted five-foot waves to repair a smashed window through which water was flooding the station. Equipment was upgraded in the 1930s to a first-class reed horn and by the 1970s to a diaphragm air horn. The station was automated in 1975, and today solar panels provide power for the light. The keeper’s house, boathouse, oil house, and other structures have been
demolished, leaving only the signal building and lighthouse. Plans were being made a few years ago to tear those down, replacing them with a steel post with a light on top. However, in 2006 The Coast Guard conveyed ownership of the island to the Cuckolds Fog Signal and Light Station Council, under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
Stewardship Party, Annual Meeting, and Events
The Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, August 19. For members not planning to attend the meeting, Trustee election ballots shall be conducted electronically as authorized by the MITA by-laws. Ballot information will be posted in July at www.mita.org/ballot and a reminder will be sent to all MITA member email addresses recorded at that time. We would request that all members provide email addresses to save mailing costs. However, if you require a paper ballot, please call the MITA office to request one at 207-761-8225.
Upcoming events include:
Name(s): ..................................................................................................................................................
July 10 Joint SMSKN/MITA Stevens Island Campout
City: ............................................................. State: .............................................Zip: .........................
August 1 8th Annual Boatbuilders Festival
Tel: ................................................................ Email: .............................................................................
August 7 Joint SMSKN/MITA Muscle Ridge Paddle from Birch Pt.
Method of payment: o Check (payable to MITA)
August 13-15 Maine Boat Homes and Harbors Show o Visa
o MC
Card Number:..........................................................................................................................................
August 19 Stewardship Party and Annual Meeting
Signature:................................................... Expiration Date:............................................................
September 11 Joint SMSKN/MITA Paddle, Botanical Gardens Tour & Lobster Bake
Call with questions or to join: 207-761-8225 x107
Information about clean-ups and other MITA
summer 2010
events is available at www.mita.org/events.
Currently efforts are under way to restore the lighthouse, rebuild the keepers’ house, and facilitate public access to the island so that visitors can learn about the operation of the fog and light station that played a significant role in the development of Boothbay Harbor as a safe and busy fishing port. The flashing white beam from The Cuckolds light continues to guide mariners. Members interested in contributing to The Cuckolds restoration effort can find out
more at www.cuckoldslight.org. The western Cuckolds island is on the Trail and open for camping for the intrepid visitor.
M I TA .O R G
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Dozens of books and websites exist that offer tips for reducing our plastic consumption. We’ve listed some specific examples in the sidebar below, but simply gaining a basic awareness of all of the unnecessary plastic stuff in our lives is an important first step.
Plastic – continued from page 1
But what really struck me was that, beyond a handful of obvious pieces, most of the plastic debris that he finds is unidentifiable—simply tiny fragments numbering in the millions. In each of Moore’s samples, a few small sea creatures frittered about in a stew of colorful confetti like children swimming in a plastic ball pit (only much less endearing). Here, within the North Pacific Gyre, a thousand miles from anywhere, the density of plastic in the ocean rivaled what you’d expect to find in a turnpike drainage ditch. In my head Van Morrison provided the soundtrack: “and it’s ever present everywhere, and it’s ever present everywhere...” Moore and his team have been studying the North Pacific Gyre, a large rotating ocean current that spans from Asia to North America, for more than a decade. And they have evidence showing not only that micro-plastics are accumulating in seawater, but that they are accumulating at an accelerating rate. He noted that there are four other major gyres in the world’s oceans, and that based on natural ocean flows and currents it is likely that similar plastic concentrations exist elsewhere. In fact, he and his team are launching expeditions to the north and south Atlantic in 2010 to investigate two such areas. You can track their progress at www.algalita.org.
Plastic Soup
Before a transfixed audience in Blue Hill, Moore explained the reason for all the small plastic bits. Unlike wood, paper or cloth products that biodegrade in nature, plastic tends to photodegrade – it gets weakened by sunlight until it breaks apart into small pieces, and then smaller pieces still. These end-of-life plastic bits disperse freely throughout the water column and across hundreds of nautical miles alongside their cousins, pre-production pellets known as “nurdles” that often wind up in the sea. Their tiny size and boundless reach make them nearly immune to proposed cleanup efforts, and this has forced Captain Moore to conclude that we will never successfully rid the ocean of plastic.
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Velellas (by-the-wind-sailors) and plastic confetti skimmed from the North Pacifc Gyre. Credit: Karin Malmstrom/Marine Photobank.
The infiltration of micro-plastics in the ocean’s food web is wreaking havoc on fish, seabirds and other marine wildlife. Easily mistaken for food, plastic shards pose a serious choking hazard and since they are non-digestible, have caused animals to die from starvation with full stomachs. Vessels of highly concentrated toxins, ingested plastics have been linked to behavioral changes and reproductive disruption in some species. As Moore describes it, we’re putting everything in the ocean on a plastic diet, and the potential impact on sea life and on humans is only beginning to be understood.
Searching for Local Solutions
Throughout Moore’s lecture, the question running through my mind was, What can we do about it? Despite agreeing with his contention that the sheer volume of widely dispersed micro-plastics in the ocean makes retrieving all of the debris virtually impossible, his talk only put my cleanup ambitions into overdrive. Here in Maine, I thought about MITA’s island cleanups and the shoreline sweeps that occur during Coastweek, and how events like this succeed in removing plastic from the sea’s doorstep while it is relatively easy to capture. I made a note to emphasize to cleanup volunteers that picking up tiny pieces of trash is just as important as bagging large items.
No matter what the size, plastic is a scourge on natural ecosystems thanks to one of its most prized attributes—its ability to last. And as Moore explained, in today’s throwaway culture that favors convenience and portability over long term usefulness, the proliferation of plastic in nature is quietly emerging as one of our most daunting environmental challenges. Recycling and reuse certainly have a role to play, and for many of us separating our recyclables from our non-recyclable trash has become second nature. But the market for recycled plastic is fickle and, intentionally or not, plastic debris often finds its way into the sea. Processes that convert unwanted plastics into petroleum for use as fuel seem to offer a useful alternative to recycling, but the consequences of increased petroleum consumption may ultimately outweigh the waste reduction benefits. Simply put, we need to do less with plastic, not more.
Individual Choices Make a Difference
Captain Moore insists that real change can only come about by addressing the input side of the equation—preventing plastic from entering the ocean in the first place. With plastics here to stay, we should all try to be more selective about our plastic use. Since we live in a world dominated by consumption, we have an opportunity to wield our consumer clout to help reduce the amount of plastic that settles in the ocean.
While the undertone of Captain Moore’s talk was anything but hopeful, I came away from his lecture inspired nonetheless. He drew a standing-roomonly crowd and I noticed several MITA members and volunteers in attendance. It was encouraging to see colleagues from the Maine Coastal Program, Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and other partners present because this issue transcends the missions and objectives of our organizations. It is a global challenge with a solution rooted in individuals and households. Consciously or not, we all contribute to this plastic legacy. Only by working together toward a shared ideal will we begin to turn the tide.
Tips for Reducing Your Plastic Footprint
Trail Magic: An Update on George’s Condition Two years ago, member Dennis McCabe wrote to tell us about a trip to Hells Half Acre with his friend George (pictured), who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and told he had six months to live (“Dennis, I have Cancer,” Winter 2008). Many members have since contacted us to say how moved they were by the story and pass along their best wishes. So it is with a lot of joy that we are able to report that George continues to do well in defiance of his original prognosis. Despite the tumor’s fast George initial growth and George’s decision to stop chemotherapy so he could enjoy his remaining time, the cancer apparently has shrunk and is no longer “pulling” on a blood supply, according to Dennis. “The doctor indicates that this has never happened with this type of cancer,” Dennis said. “It is amazing many professionals. While it’s not gone, it is dormant.” Dennis said he visited George in Fort Lauderdale a few months ago and that George was “doing awesome.” By now, George should be back in New England and Dennis said he is looking forward to kayaking with him again. “George is touched that so many have been moved by his story and hopes that readers will be drawn to the islands of the Trail to see why this was a final wish of his, two years ago,” Dennis said. “There’s magic out there on them islands!”
• Opt for fresh, whole foods rather
than prepackaged convenience food items
Reptile and Amphibian Census
• Purchase products such as milk,
honey and peanut butter in glass jars and eggs in cardboard cartons
• Carry reusable water bottles or buy
beverages sold in glass bottles
• Keep cloth or canvas bags handy
at all times (they’re not just for groceries) or request paper at the checkout line
• Scale back on plastic produce bags
for fruits and vegetables
• Wash and reuse ziploc storage bags • Bring refillable mugs to coffee shops
and reusable containers to restaurants for leftovers
• Choose biodegradable bags for
cleaning dog waste and cloth diapers for infants
Gear is Here!
Looking for another great way to support MITA? Why not choose one that makes you look great in return? Our new line of MITA apparel includes: • • • • • •
Baseball and visor caps Fleece and soft shell vests and jackets Denim long-sleeve shirts Polo shirts T-shirts Bags
Product and ordering information at mita.org/gear.
The 2010 Island Amphibian and Reptile Census is getting underway, and your participation is crucial to make sure that frogs, salamanders, and turtles are all equitably represented in the statistics! The project is being led by Michael J. Little of Earth Stewards, who requests that you note the location and species of any reptiles or amphibians you may see while traveling the Trail this summer. Observations can be sent via email to mjlittle2318@ hotmail.com.
M I TA .O R G
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Stalking Stripers: Tips and Techniques for the Novice Fisherman B y K e v i n Lo m a n g i n o
Whether it’s an afternoon nap on a mattress of pine duff or a decadent hot cocoa by the campfire, everyone has their guilty pleasure when camping out on a Trail island. For me, nothing beats an ice cold Geary’s while I cast my line into a quiet pocket cove at sunset. Even better is when a huge swirl tells me I’m about to hook one of Maine’s most popular recreational sportfish—the striped bass. Tangling with a Maine striper is easily one of the biggest thrills you can experience while traveling the Trail. And it’s a relatively easy skill to pick up even if you have very little fishing experience. You’ve already tackled the most difficult challenge if you’ve gotten yourself out on the water among the rocks and islands where stripers congregate. A little gear and some know-how are all it takes to set yourself up for that first adrenaline-pumping striper strike.
Striper Basics
Like many Trail travelers, stripers spend the winter to our south and migrate north as the weather warms toward the end of spring. In the Portland area where I live, they first show up in early June and are tightly packed up inside the local rivers. As the temperatures rise in July, the stripers spread out along the islands, ledges, and beaches in search of cooler waters and more plentiful baitfish. They’ll usually stick around through September before making the long journey back to the Chesapeake. Fish can be found in good numbers all along the southern Maine coast up to and including the Kennebec. And while stripers are known to range up into the Penobscot River as far as Bangor, the run east of the Kennebec is typically smaller and less reliable. Generally you’ll have the best luck if you confine your fishing to the coast west of Boothbay.
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Guide Dan Wolotsky of Sweet Action Charters (left) and a client pose with a striper caught in the Midcoast area.
Stripers are often (but not always) nocturnal feeders, which means that the best fishing for the daylight fisherman tends to be in the early morning hours, sunset, or on days with a heavy overcast. Another rule of thumb is to fish places with bottom structure (i.e. rock piles) and moving water. A favorite striper feeding tactic is to lie in wait behind a boulder in a fast-moving tide; they dart out to snack on smaller baitfish that drift by in the swirling currents.
Getting Geared Up
Any local tackle dealer (I frequent The Tackle Shop in Portland; www. thetackleshop.net) can set you up with a basic rig for striper fishing. I use a 7-foot pole with just a little backbone to it and a spinning reel stocked with 12 lb line. It’s a light setup that gives a sporting chance to the 3- to 8-lb fish that I catch on most days. Fly fishing gear can also be used, and there is more and more equipment available to outfit your kayak for striper fishing. Stripers can be enticed to strike at a variety of baits, including live and chunk mackerel and sandworms, as well as artificial lures and flies. For my money, the “Sluggo” is probably the most versatile and productive lure you can put on your line. Retrieved slowly, it mimics the random struggles of a wounded baitfish, which stripers seem
to find irresistible. It has worked for me in many different conditions from Scarborough all the way to Boothbay. Of course, no fisherman worth his salt gets too specific when it comes to his favorite striper honey holes. Nevertheless, it is common knowledge that certain areas are perennial striper hangouts. The Presumpscot River just above Brickyard Point is a good bet early in the season (June and early July), as is just about anywhere in the Sasanoa River northwest of Castle Island when the outgoing tide is running. Later in the season, try the swirling currents off Phippsburg in the Kennebec or the surf off Pemaquid Point or Popham Beach. Rocky shores on just about any island in Casco Bay are also likely to hold fish.
Conserving the Resource
Many anglers (myself included) believe that the striper population in Maine has been on the decline in recent years. While the problem may have more to do with pollution in the Chesapeake Bay spawning grounds than it does with local conditions and practices, members should do their part to try to keep the fishery sustainable. There is a bag limit in Maine of one fish per day, and only fish between 20" and 26" or more than 40" may be taken. In the Kennebec, only single-hook artificial lures (no bait) may be used between May 1 and June 3.
In addition, starting in 2011, saltwater fishermen in Maine will have to register with the state, much like freshwater fishermen do currently. The saltwater registration will be free with the purchase of a freshwater license (although a $2 agent fee must be paid), but saltwater anglers who do not purchase a freshwater license will have to buy a “striped bass endorsement” to fish for or possess striped bass. The annual fee for this endorsement is $5 for Maine residents and $15 for nonresidents. Tackle shops and the Internet are great places to pick up more information about striper fishing. Guide Dan Wolotsky’s “Fish Whistle” blog keeps me updated on fishing conditions in and around the Kennebec (fishwhistle.blogspot.com), and the Coastal Maine/New Hampshire forum at Stripers Online (www. stripersonline.com) is full of informative posts on techniques and locations.
Wish List MITA will gladly consider donations of anything from boats and vehicles to office equipment. Please call us at 207-761-8225 or e-mail info@ mita.org if you would like to donate these or other items.
The Maine Island Trail Association gratefully acknowledges the sponsors of the 2010 Guide.
www.llbean.com/ods
www.bangor.com
www.parksandlands.com
www.tylertech.com
GG Direct Portland, Maine | www.ggdirect.com Lincoln Canoe & Kayak Freeport, Maine | www.paddlelincoln.com Maine Coastal Program Augusta, Maine | www.maine.gov/spo/coastal Ronnie Sellers Productions, Inc. Portland, Maine | www.rsvp.com Strouts Point Wharf Company South Freeport, Maine | www.stroutspoint.com WoodenBoat Brooklin, Maine | www.woodenboat.com
For The Boats • • • •
andheld chart plotter/GPS H Throwable buoyant cushions Tall rubber boots Tarps (all sizes)
For The Islands • • • •
F lathead rake Spade shovel Log hooks Binoculars
For The Office • • • • •
Nautical charts Chart books Extension cords Digital video camera with microphone High-volume network printer/copier
Special thanks to Yale Cordage for replacing all lines on the MITA fleet this year.
Adopters Answer the Call
In the summer 2009 edition of The Island Trail we put out a plea for island adopters to help us keep pace with the growing stewardship demands of the Trail. To our extreme delight, you answered the call—and in a big way! Several dozen new adopters signed up, increasing our coverage on the islands by 34%. Additionally, many current adopters increased their stewardship responsibilities and a few former adopters rejoined the program after their stewardship commitment had lapsed. Thanks to your efforts we are inching ever closer to our goal of having island adopters for every Trail island and multiple adopters for particularly sensitive or high-use islands. But we’re not there yet— we still need more help. Please visit www.mita.org/connect/adopt to find out more about adopting an island or email stewards@mita.org to see how you can help. If you’ve got a boat, there’s hardly a better reason to use it. M I TA .O R G
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Get Your Member Discounts Here!
MITA has joined up with several local guides, marinas and outfitters to offer discounts, freebies, and other benefits to members in 2010. Check www.mita.org/benefits for details and for new opportunities that may become available throughout the season.
MOORINGS AND MARINAS
• Dolphin Marina (Harpswell, ME) • H inckley Yacht Services • • • •
(Southwest Harbor, ME)
Journey’s End Marina (Rockland, ME) Portland Yacht Services Sebasco Harbor Resort (Phippsburg) trouts Point Marina (Freeport, ME) S
RETAIL STORES
• Lincoln Canoe & Kayak (Freeport, ME) • Kittery Trading Post • Saltwater Workshop (Baxter, ME)
KAYAK OUTFITTERS AND RENTAL
L. L. BEAN (Freeport, ME) RippleEffect (Cow Island, ME) SailMaine (Portland, ME) eakeeper Adventure Charters (Camp S
• • • •
Ardea Ecoexpeditions (Gouldsoboro, ME) Maine Kayak, Inc. (Burnham, ME) Midcoast Kayak (Damariscotta, ME) easpray Kayaking (Brunswick, ME) S
• • • •
COURSES, TOURS AND TRIPS
LODGING, PARKING & BOAT LAUNCHES
• Old Quarry Ocean Adventures
(Deer Isle, ME)
• Victorian By the Sea Bed & Breakfast
(Lincolnville, ME)
• Linekin Bay Resort
Ellis, ME)
• Schooner Summertime (Rockland, ME)
Please consider a year-end gift to our Stewardship Fund which directly supports the islands.
mita.org/stewfund
MITA.ORG 207.761.8225 PORTLAND, Maine 04101 58 Fore Street, Suite 30-3 MAINE ISLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION
PAID
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